


i never walk alone (feel me, you’re not alone either)

by vivahate



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A few years in the future, Fluff, Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, there's some talk about insecurities etc etc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 08:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12008796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivahate/pseuds/vivahate
Summary: As good as Lance is at letting his emotions be known, it still leaves him out of breath sometimes, being on the receiving end of Keith’s unwavering love.It’s intense, he realizes, being loved by Keith Kogane.





	i never walk alone (feel me, you’re not alone either)

Lance wakes up to a warm breath against his ear and soft lips gliding down the side of his neck.

 

He registers the gentle touch right at the edges of his awareness, light enough for him to continue his slumber if he chooses, but not enough to forget _who’s_ touching him. A helpless whine catches in his throat as Keith’s mouth moves on the back of his neck, lips barely grazing, dragging so lightly across his skin it makes Lance shiver at the ticklish feeling.

 

Well shit.

 

With how distracting Keith’s touch is, it takes a while before he regains his sense of reality. They’re back on Earth. Keith is leaving in a few hours, to join Shiro for a journey – this time not across entire galaxies, but a mere few countries. Lance finally, _finally_ gets to go home, see his family. See the ocean. As for now.

 

For now, he’s more than content to simply enjoy his boyfriend’s attentions for as long as possible.

 

Lance is already grinning by the time he’s fully awake, goose bumps running down his body at the barely there brush of Keith’s lips against his forehead. His mouth turns up helplessly as he tries to hide his reaction into the pillow lest Keith notice he’s awake and decides to stop.

 

He can definitely get used to waking up like this.

 

“Good morning.” Ah. He is caught. Keith’s voice is soft and careful as if he’s trying not to disturb the quiet of the early morning hour, and Lance can feel him smiling against his temple.

 

“Mmm. It is. Sleep well beautiful?” Lance’s voice is deceptively casual, considering that he was all but melting into the mattress under his boyfriend’s ministrations just a minute ago.

 

He lets the endearment fall easily from his mouth, knowing how welcome it is. And hasn’t _that_ been a revelation: he’ll never forget the deep red flush that spread across Keith’s cheeks and up to the very tips of his ears at having been called _sweetheart_ for the first time. As flustered as Keith can get, though, he is incredibly charmed by pet names and loves being reminded that he is wanted. And Lance, well. He’s only happy to please his boyfriend, allowing affection to color each word he directs at Keith.

 

Lance’s grin stretches wider as he feels Keith squirm with embarrassment behind him before he speaks, “Even if I didn’t: I get to wake up with you, so that would make everything okay.”  


And Lance goes absolutely still at that, body bolting awake all at once, and his reaction must've been a rather drastic one, because he realizes that Keith, too, has frozen against his back, carefully holding his breath as he waits for Lance’s reaction.

 

Oh yeah, he can definitely get used to this. Even if one day Keith might end up killing him with his spontaneous bouts of affection. As good as Lance is at letting his emotions be known, it still leaves him out of breath sometimes, being on the receiving end of Keith’s unwavering love. It’s intense, he realizes, being loved by Keith Kogane.

 

“Shit. Babe you – can’t just _say_ things like that, especially this early in the morning.”

 

“ _You_ say this kind of stuff all the time.” Keith grumbles as he tries to hide his – no doubt blushing – face against Lance’s shoulder. Lance can’t handle how cute he is. This is so unfair.

 

“And you love it.” He says, reaching around for Keith’s hand. “Really though, I’m just teasing. I love this too, you know. Seeing your gorgeous face first thing in the morning. Getting to spend an entire day with you, without trying not to get killed by aliens. It‘s nice.”

 

Keith falls silent after his little speech, long enough for fear to grip Lance’s heart. Was that too much? He knows that Keith still gets easily overwhelmed from this kind of conversations but he needs Keith to know. Never wants Keith to have any doubts about Lance’s feelings and thoughts in regards to them.

 

His fear is uncalled for though.

 

“Yeah I – Me, too.” Keith says and then props himself up on an elbow so he can look Lance straight in the eye, “I love every second of it.”

 

Keith’s smiling gently as he says it but the sincerity and protectiveness audible in his voice, make Lance fall for him all over again. _You are never too much. I love you and you can be as too much with me as you want_. Keith doesn’t say, but Lance hears it as clearly as if Keith were shouting it.

 

Lance feels like the luckiest man alive.

 

“I’m gonna miss you so much.” The words tumble unbidden from his mouth before he can stop them, and he prays Keith doesn’t notice how desperate and serious that sounded in comparison to their earlier playful banter.

 

But Keith must sense the change in his voice because he freezes up against him and starts pulling away. He puts enough distance between them so he can look at Lance properly without having to crane his neck at a weird angle and Lance curses inwardly at the concerned expression on Keith’s face, his fingers are gentle as they squeeze Lance’s hand, and Lance’s done exactly what he wanted to avoid most. They have to part soon and Lance’s already gone and stressed him out.

 

“Would you like me to stay with you instead?” He’s expecting the words before they’re even out of Keith’s mouth, and he can’t help but smile at the ridiculous man next to him.

 

Of course he’s going to miss Keith. Sometimes he misses the hothead even when he’s right there next to him, but Keith looks two seconds away from cancelling the entire trip and Lance simply won’t have that.

 

“Nah. Don’t want to get on your brother’s bad side.” Lance says, keeping his tone light, “He’ll think I’m a bad influence on you or something.”

 

Keith outright snorts at that – as if Shiro doesn’t know that if anyone can be a bad influence in this relationship, it’s definitely _not_ Lance.

 

“Shiro won’t mind. I’ll tell him I’ve had a change of heart, and I’ll just wait till he gets here.”

 

“No way. I know you’ve been looking forward to this trip for ages.” Lance hurries to get it out as Keith looks less and less convinced by the second. “Besides you both need some time alone to figure out your future plans and where you wanna settle down.”

 

“None of that is very urgent.” Keith shrugs, but Lance doesn’t miss how pleased he looks at the reminder. A lifetime of solitude will do this to you, Lance thinks, his own heart warming and filling with joy for his boyfriend. If there’s one good thing that came out of that whole intergalactic mess, it’s the long overdue reconciliation of two brothers. “He would understand, but Lance. Are _you_ sure?”

 

Keith doesn’t look away and his eyes are soft and far too tender again, and dear God Lance is so in love with him.

 

“Of course I am! You shouldn’t miss this for anything. Especially since there’s no reason for you to! I’ll be fine, honest.” Lance hurries to assure, and finds that he actually means it. It really shouldn’t surprise him anymore, how just a few words from Keith can chase even the ugliest of his anxieties away.

 

Keith stares at him for a bit longer: it seems as if he wants to press the matter more, obviously still worried, but doesn’t want to risk upsetting Lance. He settles for lying back down and curling tightly against Lance from behind, his head resting on Lance’s shoulder.

 

Lance feels his skin practically crawl with vulnerability. _Shit_. As used as he’s got to the easy intimacy and trust of their relationship, it still catches him off guard sometimes, how terrifying it is. Baring your soul to someone, leaving it completely at their mercy, is downright terrifying.

 

But the uneasy feeling in his gut is gone as soon as it came. It’s still Keith. _His_ Keith. The person who anchors him the most but keeps him in check at the same time. If there’s anyone in the world Lance could bare his soul to and not be scared of rejection it’s the man wrapped around him.

 

Maybe love is supposed to be terrifying at times.

 

“I haven’t even shown you how to fly a hoverbike yet.” Comes Keith’s sullen voice from where he’s still pressed against Lance’s shoulder, and Lance can’t help but laugh heartily. This guy, honestly.

 

“And what’s stopping you, hmm?” Lance teases brushing Keith’s bangs back so he can see his face. Well, the part of his face that’s not mashed against his own arm that is, “There’s no rush babe. You’ll teach me when you get back. And then we can finally go visit my family. Can’t wait to show you off to everyone: they’re all gonna love you.”

 

“You think so?” Keith perks up behind him, moving his arm downwards so he can curl hesitant fingers against one of Lance’s own. The question doesn’t catch Lance off guard as much as it makes his heart drop in his stomach: the mere notion that Keith should have any doubts about this is simply unacceptable.

 

“’You think so?’ he asks! I _know_ so. Seriously my siblings have not stopped asking about you since I mentioned you the first time over the phone. And my mum specifically ordered me to warn her in advance if I’m bringing you over so she can impress you with her cooking. They already consider you family.”

 

“Oh.” Is all Keith says, before tightening his hold on Lance, but otherwise doesn’t move and stays very quiet.

 

And this. This part of Keith Lance couldn’t wrap his mind around for the longest time. Keith – confident, impatient, bold, brave Keith – and he’s just as human as everyone, with a sea of insecurities and self-esteem issues to give Lance’s own some serious competition. It floored him the first time he saw a look of not sadness or anger – those he could deal with – but naked vulnerability pass over Keith’s face. Back when their relationship was still shaky but they’d started making an effort to learn and get to know each other – and coupled with the fact that he was still reeling with surprise from that knowledge, he didn’t know how to cope with it. Now, even though he’s got better at reading and understanding and helping Keith, that sheer vulnerability still never fails to make his heart ache.

 

This is what happens when you spend years thinking you’re not worthy of love and that no one will possibly want you around permanently. Maybe baring his heart is just as terrifying for Keith as it is for him.

 

Keith’s voice is quiet and still has that achingly hesitant tone to it, and Lance almost misses it completely, so lost he is in his thoughts.

 

“Is it bad that I just can’t imagine being anywhere without you by my side anymore?”

 

Keith practically whispers the words, but Lance still hears him: how helplessly in love he sounds and how desperately he’s trying to hide it, lest his emotions are too much for Lance to handle. Lance has known Keith long enough to recognize that thinly veiled thread of self-doubt that’s present in his daily speech. And the wave of protectiveness that washes over him almost steals his breath away.

 

He’s never, never letting this man doubt himself ever again, if he can help it.

 

And maybe Lance stays silent for too long, because Keith flinches back abruptly, mistaking his silence for rejection. “Sorry that was weird – I didn’t -“

 

Lance curses inwardly and turns around frantically, reaching for Keith, who meets him halfway, but only to immediately dive in close and bury his face in Lance’s neck, as if he feels the need to hide himself from Lance.

 

Lance’s heart throbs painfully in his chest, and he can’t help how rattled he sounds when he speaks.

 

“No – you. You’ve got nothing to apologize for, okay? Nothing, not for this – _never_ for this, alright? And I,” Lance pauses to swallow thickly, relishing the tiny relieved sigh Keith lets out against his ear, “I feel that way, too. And you won’t have to, you know. Be without me, I mean. You’re kind of stuck with me now, babe – no take-backs.”

 

Keith laughs wetly against his neck but allows himself to curl a little harder on top of Lance, finally relaxing. Lance counts that as a victory.

 

“So, it’s settled then. You’ll go and spend time with your brother – because seriously I joke about Shiro having my head for keeping you all to myself, but I really don’t want a strained relationship with your family, _and_ I have seen Shiro fight, man, I don’t want to be on the receiving end of his wrath.” Lance feels his smile grow a bit wider as he hears Keith giggle and mutter a snarky ‘as if’, “Then you’ll come stay with me. And you can show me how to drive a hoverbike. Wouldn’t want you to get bored without flying now would we?”

 

“I wouldn’t get bored.” Keith whispers, rubbing his eyes, and the same stubborn resolution that got them all in trouble countless times in space, and which Lance can’t help but adore, just like he adores every other part of Keith, is back in his voice. “I’d really just rather be where you are.”

 

The rush of tears to his eyes is kind of inevitable at this point, and Lance is expecting it, along with the sudden thought that passes through his mind like bolt of lightning. _I’d rather stay with you forever._ It’s sweltering under the covers and they’re pressed front to front, legs tangled together, and arms grasping each other tightly but still Lance manages to burrow impossibly closer.

 

He lets out a sharp intake of breath and wills his mind to stop whirling. Keith’s got enough on his plate as it is: he should be careful not to run his mouth too much and overwhelm Keith even more. Although the thought of living the rest of his life with Keith doesn’t seem as earth-halting as he expected it to be. On the contrary: the notion comes to him as natural as breathing.

 

Still. That’s a conversation for another time.

 

For now he settles on pressing a soft kiss against Keith’s forehead and murmuring, “Me too, babe.”

**Author's Note:**

> uhh hope this was enjoyable! my writing's kind of rusty but s3 made me feel a lot of things and these two are so precious,, and deserve all the cliché sappy tropes imaginable!


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